


Hurricane

by giraffles



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairytales, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Deer Boys, Dragon Children, Eventual Polyship, Eventual Relationships, Fae creatures, Fluff, M/M, Mermaids, Monsters, Multi, Sea Pancakes, i don't have a problem you have a problem, no one is human just roll with it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 09:03:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8838589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giraffles/pseuds/giraffles
Summary: He decides, mere moments after falling into it, that he hates the ocean.





	

He decides, mere moments after falling into it, that he hates the ocean.

It’s big. Vast, in a way deserts aren’t and could never hope to be. It’s cold. Latitude be damned, it’s cold as hell even this far south, scraping icy nails across his skin. It’s dark. Maybe because it stormed the night before, and maybe because he’s already ten feet under.

Coming here was a mistake. But it’s a mistake that he only realizes, of course, once it’s far too late. The rocky shore and cliff line was saturated from the previous days rain, littered with dark and slick patches laying in wait. And he had been stupid enough to go climb out on them, thinking that the worst that could happen was that he might trip and get some bruises. But no, instead one misstep has send him crashing into waves, sinking fast— because it’s hard to float with two limbs made of steel. And Ed never did learn to swim.

There was no practical need in Xerxes, not with being surrounded by sand and rock and barren land. Water was too precious a resource to just let people fill pools with to frolic in anyhow. Besides, the point was moot once he hit the patch of slimy seaweed and became entangled in it, and no amount of flailing could have helped. It could have only been seconds, but time stops having meaning once he chokes on the first gulp of sour saltwater. It’s all too fast and taking too long all at once. And of all the ways he thought he might die, drowning had never been high on the list.

There’s movement as something swims by. Something large, a dark shadow in the depths, as though being trapped and unable to breathe wasn’t terrifying enough. It’s just a fish, he assumes, which is probably waiting for him to finally kick it so it can eat him or something. So out of an act of desperation more than anything, he lashes out at it with a metal hand. He catches something that’s vaguely shaped like a fin, though he hasn’t seen many fish in his life. Then the creature turns and comes fully into view and he wishes he had the air to scream.

It’s half animal, but only half. A very human upper body was positioned on the top of large and flaring fins, but also distinctly _unhuman_ with scales along it’s skin, with claws and teeth diving towards him. Not only was he going to drown, now he was going to be dismembered by some unholy creature who didn’t have the decency to wait until he expired. For fuck’s sake, he could never catch a break.

He braced for a killing blow that never came. Instead, the thing’s hands curl into the soaked fabric of his clothes— and it _kisses_ him.

The shock almost outweighs the sudden realization that when they part, he can breathe despite still being in the ocean’s watery grasp. The creature claws at the seaweed he’s tangled in and shreds it with ease. But it doesn’t let go, and now that the end seems to be avoided at least for the time being, he’s not about to let it take him home for dinner. It doesn’t seem to matter how he might struggle however, because the creature is far stronger than it’s slim form might suggest, and it’s pulling him along anyway. There are a thousand curses in his head he wants to hurl but none of them would translate well to being spoken underwater. But he’s not going down without a fight.

And then he’s being tossed unceremoniously onto the rocks and sand and weak sunlight of the day.

“You should really learn how to swim,” comes the drawl from behind him as he’s retching up sea water and readjusting to oxygen, “Or stay out of the water.”

Whatever it is that took it upon themselves to save him is moving in lazy circles just out of reach, where the water is deep enough to accommodate it’s aquatic body. It’s looks like no fish he’s ever seen, lower body wider and flat, darker on one side than the other and covered in pale spots. But the human part actually seems more normal once it’s above the waves, even with the small fins and swirls of scales. They even have a fall of blond hair that they keep pushing out of their face. Ed just stares.

“The fuck are you?”

“That’s rude,” they quip, “You know, most people would be grateful that I didn’t leave them to drown.”

He’s cold, he’s wet, and what little patience he has on a good day has long since fled. “Then why didn’t you.”

They blink at him. “Were you _trying_ to die?”

“No,” he mutters back. There will be no getting all the moisture out of clothes, no matter how hard he rings the fabric out, and his damn automail is probably going to rust. “I just don’t get why you bothered.”

Their nose scrunches up and they swim a little closer. Now it’s clearer that they’re patterned in dark blues and greens. “I’m a nereid.”

“Aw, fuck.” He’d sworn to himself to have no more interactions with fae after the last debacle. And now one just saved his life. “What do I owe you? A blood pact? Ritual sacrifice? I am not going on some sort of impossible-unless-you’re-magic quest, so you better come up with something reasonable.”

They pause for a minute, letting the only sound between them be the wind and surf crashing, before they laugh. It’s like peals of thunder before an oncoming storm.

“That’s all awfully dramatic. Not that humans ever have much to offer in the first place.” The nereid doesn’t stop moving, swimming back and forth along the shoreline, but those startlingly blue eyes never leave him. “I’ve never seen you around here before. Where are you from?”

“What does it matter to you?”

That’s when a predatory glint comes into their eyes and Ed starts to regret not just getting the hell out of there once he was on solid land. It doesn’t matter that he’s a good ten feet away and has the home advantage, there’s that feeling that if he tries to run he’s worse than dead. You don’t cross a magical being and live to tell the tale of it.

“I get to pick the price, don’t I?” There’s a smile there, one that tells him he’s already in too deep. “And I think I’ll pick you.”

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.”

“I mean your company,” The nereid clarifies, splashing water back in his general direction, “You’d be absolutely useless on the reef, anyway.”

“I’ll show you useless,” He grumbles, “But whatever. How long?”

“Until I get bored.”

Which is way too vague, especially when talking about deals made with fae creatures, but he’s never been much of a negotiator. His brother would have been more suited to coming up with fair terms and closing loopholes. But he’s also too tired to care.

“Fine. Company. Until you get bored. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“You better.” Is the ominous warning he gets before they dive down and disappear from sight with barely a ripple.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be for polyship week, but oh well. November was such a bust, blegh.


End file.
